


The ABCs of Growing Up

by negickapologist (neganstonguething)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Marriage, Weddings, emotional rick, some sexual innuendos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 07:32:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11618904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neganstonguething/pseuds/negickapologist
Summary: Carl's growing up--settling down and getting married. Rick and Negan have some adjusting to do.My contribution to day 5 - Wedding - of Regan Week on Tumblr.





	The ABCs of Growing Up

Carl looks the very picture of beside himself up on that altar right now. He’s staring straight down the aisle, waiting for his bride as she descends and steps ever close to him. The smile never leaves his face, and his blue eyes gleam brightly, accented by the minty blue hints in the pocket and undershirt and tie of his black suit.

The music paints hues of happiness and excitement and emotion across the pews, and the canvas seems to light up as Enid passes by in her long, mint blue dress, lips painted the faintest shade of pink. Her radiant smile levels with Carl’s, and when she stops up at the altar with him, Negan swears he sees moisture well up in the young man’s eyes.

While the music continues to swell around them, Negan brings his attention to Rick. He’s got his hand clasped tightly on Negan’s thigh as they sit at the front pew, and the grip is nearly painful. Carl’s eyes match his, both sporting icy blue irises with the power to bore straight through the soul. Right now, Rick’s using those baby blues to watch his son, and the emotion on his face is unmistakable. It brings to memory their conversation from the previous night.

_“…Rick.”_

_Negan sees the way Rick sits at the foot of their bed, his weight propped up on his knees by his elbows. His eyes seem way too focused on the floor below him, jaw clenched and temples visibly pulsing. He looks tired and wound up at the exact same time, and Negan knows why._

_With Carl getting married tomorrow, yet another chapter of Rick’s life is coming to an end. He’s so proud of his boy, but Negan knows from other conversations with Rick that the man simply wishes time would slow down so he could enjoy what’s going on for a little longer._

_But he also knows that everyone is happy right now. Carl is happy and healthy and so, so in love with his fiancée. Judith is in eighth grade, just about to graduate to high school, and she’s all bubbly smiles and dad jokes and the feisty little thing she is._

_And then there’s Rick and Negan. Negan was nearly fifty when he met and fell in love with Rick, and Rick just six years shy of him. That’s been five years. Now, both men are happily married, watching their children grow up and start to make lives for themselves. With Carl’s wedding comes the potential for grandchildren, and eventually, great-grandchildren. Their family is about to grow so much bigger, and as much as Negan can tell Rick’s excited, it’s also bittersweet to the younger man._

_Nearly ten seconds after Negan speaks his husband’s name, Rick finally addresses him, a tired smile on his face. Negan knows he can tell exactly what he’s going to say, so he doesn’t bother continuing. Rick just responds by patting the bed next to him, and when Negan takes a seat, he feels the warmth of Rick’s body leaning against his own, and those fingers curled around his. He give’s Rick’s hand a squeeze._

_“I’m so proud of him, Negan.” Rick says, and Negan doesn’t even have to look to know the man’s got his lips curled into a sad smile. “He’s about to go on and be a husband, and he’s gonna treat her right, but that’s it. He’s officially grown up. Pretty soon, Judith’s gonna be doin’ the same thing, and then it’ll just be the two of us. Are you ready for that?”_

_“Hell yeah.” Negan jokes. “Sign me the fuck up for that shit. Alone time with my one and only…what kind of dumbass would I be to refuse?”_

_“Negan.” Rick chuckles, turns his head, presses a kiss to his spouse’s shoulder. “Be serious.”_

_Negan just scoffs. “Of course I’m not fucking ready. What kind of question is that?”_

_“An important one.” Rick answers._

_Negan pauses, but eventually gets Rick’s point and furthers this understanding with a shrug. “Yeah, okay. No, I’m not okay with it. But I haven’t been okay with it since Judy stopped letting me call her Princess. It’s not like we can stop any of it, though.” His thumb grazes gentle circles over the top of Rick’s hand. “This is a natural process. And it’s a good thing. Just goes to show you’ve done right by your kids, y’know? You’re a fucking phenomenal dad, baby.”_

_Rick sighs. “…Thank you, hon. You too. You know, I’m really gonna need you tomorrow. You’ll probably hate me by the end of the wedding, because you’re my emotional support.”_

_“Rick.” Negan deadpans. “I went through Carl’s graduation with you. I think I’ve got this.”_

_“You’d better have it.” Rick teases._

_“You’re welcome in advance.” Negan jabs back._

The music stops and Rick’s head snaps sideways to look at Negan. He almost looks fearful, and Negan calms him by planting his hand atop the one currently holding his thigh in a vicelike grip. So this part of the emotional reaction has already started.

At the very least, Rick’s expression is calm, and the only thing he allows to show on it is the immense pride he feels for his son. All the tension and fear and bittersweet thinking goes into the fingers clawing the hell out of Negan’s pant leg right now.

The preacher starts the reading, and Carl flashes his parents a proud smile. Negan grins right back and gives him a thumbs-up, followed by a cheesy little roll of the wrist and flick of a finger—a handshake they’ve had basically ever since Carl decided he didn’t dislike Negan as much as he was trying to. ‘ _You can do this!’_ he mouths to the now-grown-up Carl, and Carl nods. A smile is offered to his father, before Carl returns his focus to his soon-to-be-wife.

Enid and Carl exchange rings with confident, loving smiles on their faces. They both watch when they place rings on one another’s fingers, almost hypnotized by the sight alone, and their promises come in strong, self-assured words. Negan is mesmerized by the way they look into one another’s eyes, and he selfishly wonders if that’s the way he and Rick had looked into each other’s eyes when they had gotten married. He and Lucille…Rick and Lori.

The two kiss like they’ve never done so before, which Negan knows for a damn fact isn’t true, having accidentally walked in on them swapping spit with one another plenty of times as teenagers. But the love is there, and that’s what matters. They come apart and applause fills the room. Rick and Negan and Judith stand upright and applaud loudly, and Negan even goes so far as to put two fingers into his mouth and whistle.

At the reception, Carl and Enid are inseparable, spending most of their time absorbed in one another at the dance floor. The father-daughter dance breaks them apart momentarily, and Carl moves to join Rick and Negan at their table.

“There’s the groom.” Negan greets, throwing his arms around Carl’s shoulders when his stepson leans down for a hug. He watches Carl do the same for Rick and then take a seat next to them.

“Why aren’t you guys out there dancing?” Carl teases. “When I lived there, you made whatever excuse you could to be all over each other.”

Rick scoffs. “You want us to go out there and embarrass you?”

“Please.” Carl retorts. “If I’m not used to it at this point, there’s something wrong with me. Besides, you guys are two of the most ridiculously lovestruck people I know.”

“Excuse me?” Negan laughs. “Did you just say something other than ‘gross’ to describe us?”

“Come on, I was eighteen.” Carl answers. “I’ve seen enough frat parties now to know that I didn’t see the half of it.”

“Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” Negan mumbles, ignoring the way Rick lightly kicks him in the shin in response.

“Don’t make me change my mind.” Carl adds, and all three men laugh.

They all take a moment to watch Judith engulfed in fast-paced dancing with the adolescent Hershel, who’s just a couple of years younger than she is. Negan’s the first to speak up.

“We’ll get out there soon enough. Your dad’s just got to sort out his feelings.”

“Feelings?” Carl cocks an eyebrow at his father.

Rick shoots Negan a glare, but turns his focus back to his son soon enough. “Y’know, you gettin’ married and all. It’s a big step. I’m proud of you.”

Carl looks momentarily horrified. “You’re not gonna cry like you did at graduation, are you?”

Negan bursts out laughing.

“No!” Rick laughs, too. “No, no. I’m just…processin’ it, is all.”

“Gotcha.” Carl chuckles. “You take all the time you need, dad. But I’d better see you and Negan out there at least once tonight.”

“You got it, son.” Rick waves as Carl moves to visit with the other partygoers, and his attention returns to Negan. Negan acknowledges him by placing a hand on his thigh.

“How’re you holding up?” He asks.

Rick shrugs. “I’m alright. Better than I was before. But this isn’t about me. Just…look at him.” He nods to Carl, who’s smiling and laughing with Maggie and Glenn by now. “He’s all grown up now. I can’t wait to see how things go for him from here on out. But I worry, too.”

“You’re gonna.” Negan replies. “Kid’s a fucking adult. He’s about to do a lot more adulting than he’s ready for. It’s your job as a parent to worry about what kind of trouble he’s getting himself into. If you’re already freaking the fuck out, you’re a damn good dad, babe.”

“…Thanks, Negan.” Rick smiles. “What about you? Are you worried?”

Negan snorts. “Oh, yeah. Kid’s smart, but he’s got a lot of learning to do, yet. Marriage is a whole different ballgame. He thinks he’s got it figured out now, but he’s still turning the faucet on so she doesn’t hear him go to the bathroom. It’s about to get interesting for him from here on out.”

Rick laughs at that, before he nudges his husband gently on the shoulder. “You’re a good dad too, Negan.”

“Damn straight, I am.” Negan replies with a grin. “Now, about that dance…”

By the end of the reception, half the people there are exhausted, shuffling out with their shoes clutched in their hands and bare feet on the concrete. Judith looks like she could fall asleep any minute, and Carl and Enid are long gone, headed off for their honeymoon. Rick, Negan, and Enid’s parents all stay over to clean up the reception hall.

Maggie takes Judith home with her, Glenn, and Hershel, so that Rick and Negan can have some time to themselves to absorb all that’s happened. They’re dead on their feet, but they work hard to get trash in bags and bags into dumpsters. It takes a good handful of hours, but the two families soon have the floors all swept, trash all cleaned up, and supplies boxed up and loaded into cars. Rick and Negan are in charge of all the wedding gifts, so they make one last trip to the empty apartment Carl and Enid live in.

Carl has adopted Rick’s neatness, so the apartment is in nearly impeccable condition. Negan almost feels guilty leaving the many bags and boxes of wedding gifts on the couch, even after Carl had instructed him to do just that. But he and Rick do so anyway.

“Well….” Rick sighs, resting his hands on his hips. “That’s it. Time to get home.”

“Been waiting for that since we started cleaning up.” Negan answers.

Negan drives home. King County isn’t a very big town, but before they reach their home, Rick has passed clean out in the passenger’s seat. Negan feels guilty waking him up, but with his own exhaustion quickly taking over, he doesn’t imagine he’ll have the strength to lug the smaller man up the stairs and to their bedroom.

So he leans over, presses a kiss to Rick’s shoulder, and nudges him awake. Rick groans in disapproval, bleary blue eyes struggling to stay open long enough to regard Negan.

“C’mon, baby…let’s get to bed.”

“Nhh…I’m comin’.” Rick grumbles.

They shuffle their way to the room, and Negan just barely manages to convince Rick to strip down to his boxers. He does so too, and then they crawl into bed together. As per usual, Negan scoops Rick up and pulls him tight against his chest, and Rick kisses the top of the hand holding him.

“They’re in an airplane right now.” Rick muses, and Negan knows it’s because he’s recalled that Carl’s and Enid’s honeymoon is taking place in Japan. “I wonder how they’re doin’.”

“I’m willing to bet they’re on cloud fucking nine, baby.” Negan mumbles sleepily. “Fast asleep, as we should be. They’re supposed to call first thing in the morning, so don’t worry too much.”

“Yeah.” Rick sighs. “I know.”

“Do you?”

“I think I do.” Rick chuckles. “We’ll see how the night goes.”

“Hopefully it goes well.” Negan scoffs. “Because I’m not gonna lie, I’m fucking beat.”

“Yeah.” Rick agrees. “Me too. I’ll go to sleep, now. I love you, Negan.”

“I love you too.” Negan kisses his temple. “Just think—you and I have the house to ourselves in the morning.” A husky, low laugh falls from his lips at this thought.

“Christ.” Rick elbows him. “Of course you’d say that.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way.”

Rick squeezes Negan’s hand. “I guess. Goodnight, hon.”


End file.
